Albany High School is upgrading its security with new walk-through and bag scanners that will be operational beginning Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Our school serves approximately 2,700 students each day. We recognize how important it is to have entry procedures that are both efficient and effective in maintaining safety.
Over the past year, our District-Wide School Safety Team has researched best practices in school safety and violence prevention to ensure our schools remain safe, welcoming places for learning.
Through this process, we identified advanced technologies – including RONIN walk-through scanners and LINEV bag scanners – that make entry faster, smoother and less intrusive. After consulting with leaders from nearby districts who have successfully implemented these systems, our district decided to move forward with upgrading security at Albany High.
These upgrades will enhance safety for students, employees and visitors while also improving efficiency at morning entry. The technology provides quicker and more accurate screening, as well as greater privacy since it greatly reduces the necessity for manual checks.
Here’s what students can expect at morning entry:
- When students prepare to pass through security at morning entry, they should ensure all items are in their backpack. Nothing should be in students’ pockets. If a student does not have a backpack, a tray for their personal items will be provided.
- Students will place their bag on the screening belt and then walk through the scanners.
- If the walk-through scanner beeps when a student walks through, a member of the security team will use a hand scanner to ensure the student can be cleared to enter the building.
- While students will momentarily be separated from their belongings as they pass through the bag scanner, the process will be quick and seamless. At no point will backpacks or other items be left unattended.
- Bags will only be searched by hand if the bag scanner detects an item that requires a secondary search.
Our security team has completed training for this new system and will receive additional instruction from the manufacturer as the new system launches.
Please note that initially it will take a little longer for students to pass through security during morning entry as we all acclimate to these new, enhanced security procedures. We continue to encourage students to arrive between 8-8:15 a.m. to help diminish lines and prevent delays in arrival to first-period classes.
We’ll share more details as the launch date approaches.
Thank you for your support and partnership as we continue to work together to ensure a positive and safe learning environment for everyone in our school community.